Stille Nacht
by Chi Yagami
Summary: Xmas ficcie! Anzu's always been alone during xmas, but that's about to change when Malik shows up to visit his sister. After saving her from a holdup, Malik and Anzu begin to hang together. Chapter 3 up!
1. Winter is Here

**Disclaimer:** I do not own YuGiOh.

(XD) I'm doing a Christmas ficcie! I plan on doing a fic for each Halloween, Christmas, and Valentine's Day that I am active on Like my Halloween ficcie, I know that I will not finish this fic by Christmas (I always start late for some reason --;;). Also, I am switching on and off with the names (mostly whether I prefer one name or the other), so here's a list of the characters, they're descriptions, and how old they are:

Anzu Mazaki (25) – a young woman who yearns to find somebody special, but fate keeps dealing her the wrong hand

Malik Ishtar (25) – he comes to visit his sister in Domino and runs into Anzu

Serenity Wheeler (22) – owner of a bakery and has a baby boy

Joey Wheeler (25) – works voluntarily at a children's hospital teaching sick kids how to play Duel Monsters

Mai Kujaku (28) – Joey's wife; she works for Industrial Illusions and has one son

Tristan Taylor (25) – married to Serenity and works for a real state company

Otogi Ryugi (25) – Pegasus's partner and maker of Dungeon Dice Monsters

Rebecca Hopkins (21) – married to Yugi; they'll have their first child in about nine months

Yugi Muto (25) – works for Kaiba Corp (one of Seto's most trusted advisors)

Yami Muto (25) – inherited the Kame Game Shop after Grandpa died; is married to Vivien with two children

Ryou Hitori (25) ((made up his last name since Bakura is his brother's name)) – works in an ice cream shop and is married to Miho

Bakura Hitori (25) – works at the Domino Museum and is Anzu's best friend; he used to be the leader of a gang of thieves before the police had caught them (luckily they hadn't been jailed)

Seto Kaiba (27) – CEO of Kaiba Corp and is married to Isis

Mokuba Kaiba (21) – works in Serenity's bakery alongside Anzu

Isis Ishtar (28) – married to Seto with two children and runs the Domino Museum

Miho Nozaka (25) ((from _YuGiOh!_ the manga)) – married to Ryou and has one daughter

Vivien Wong (27) ((from _YuGiOh! Grand Prix Tournament…_)) – runs the game shop with her husband and takes care of the kids; she really has changed over the years

**Note:** This is an AU fic. The YGO gang has never met Malik, although they might have met of Isis. Bakura and Ryou are separate people, and so are Yugi and Yami. Uh, there are no such things as Millennium Items, and Bakura/Ryou and Yugi/Yami are brothers. There is no Marik (Yami Malik). Some characters maybe a little OOC… or way OOC (like Vivien), but take into consideration that they've done some growing-up.

This is my Christmas gift to you all! I had Christmas at my dad's yesterday, so I thought I should at least try and get chapter1 done before Christmas (--;;;;;). I got my own video camera and volumes 4-5 of _Mars_! (XD) _Stille _Nacht means Silent Night. Merry Christmas!!!

Summary: Christmas is approaching, and Domino City is once again crowded with shoppers and family gatherings. Too bad Anzu Mazaki doesn't have any family to celebrate with. One day she bumps into a foreigner named Malik Ishtar, who is the brother of Seto Kaiba's wife Isis. The two start to see each other frequently, and one thing leads to another. Maybe this Christmas won't be lonely after all…

Malik x Anzu centered; other pairings include Serenity/Tristan, Yugi/Rebecca, Ryou/Miho, Seto/Isis, Yami/Vivien

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**Stille Nacht**

By: Chi Yagami

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**Chapter One – Winter is Here**

The windows of the tiny bakery glistened brightly, having just been washed, dried, and polished. Snow fell from the gutter and landed on the doorstep, where a welcome mat read _Merry Christmas_. Ivory railing rounded the square building, giving an area for customers to eat their fillings. The tables were covered with Lennon cloths that had been recently put there. A woman was inside, sweeping the floor and getting ready for the first day of winter. Her long auburn hair was tied back in a messy ponytail, and her apron hung loosely around her waist. She put down the broom and flipped over the sign. _The Wheeler Kids' Bakery_ was officially open.

Serenity Taylor loved opening the bakery in the morning. She and her brother Joey had started it two years ago; at first they'd both shared the store, but Joey had moved away, so he left it to Serenity, which was fine with her. Although, she did miss how they'd bonded during the first year. They had worked endless hours together, chatting away on various subjects and having fun. He would run the counter while she baked the goods; she missed how he'd always steal a cookie or pastry from the shelf but would pay later. Serenity had kept the name even after he was gone and her last name had changed.

Her husband came in beaming. Serenity ran to him, giving him a big hug and a light kiss. Tristan smiled and ruffled her hair; he hadn't seen her in two weeks.

"You made it home for the holidays," she said happily into his jacket. "I thought you said you might be gone for two months?"

"Yeah, well… the CEO was leaving on Christmas vacation so he decided to let us all go home early. I'm so happy to see you!" he replied, holding her close. "Where's Ethan?"

Serenity pointed to the baby carrier that sat on the counter. A one-year-old baby boy was asleep under a pile of blankets. Tristan kissed the baby's cheek and turned to his wife.

"Rebecca's not baby-sitting today?" he asked while scratching the back of his head.

"It's only seven-thirty; she usually comes at eight. Did you know that she finally got pregnant?" she asked him while putting a sheet of bagels into the oven. He shook his head.

"When did that happen?"

"I think about two weeks ago… I might've forgotten to tell you," Serenity apologized. "They were so happy that the doctor was wrong about Yugi."

"So he isn't sterile after all?" Tristan asked jokingly. "I remember when we used to tease him because of that… It just fit so well with his 'pure' features."

Serenity nodded and continued to get ready for customers. The door opened and the bells jingled, cold wind rushing into the room. Tristan hugged Rebecca and patted her on the back.

"Congratulations on the baby," Tristan said; she thanked him and told him probably be nine more months until he could actually see it. He just laughed.

"So you're back early, huh?" she asked, pushing her glasses up higher onto her nose. "Serenity's happy, I'm sure; where is she?"

"Back here!" the baker called from the rear room. Rebecca's colorful scarf was wrapped around her neck several times, her pink earmuffs slightly lopsided. Her maroon trench coat protected her body entirely from the cold, and only her black boots were visible. Her cheek-length blonde hair was covered by a festive musher's hat. She poked her head into the kitchen and smiled.

"Mmm… I can smell your blueberry bagels being baked to perfection!" she chimed, making Serenity laugh. "So, can I take Ethan?"

"Sure," she replied, not looking up from beginning to frost a cake. "Are you and Yugi going to the Christmas party?"

"The one Seto Kaiba's hosting? Yeah, Yugi wouldn't miss it for the world. Seto's inviting everybody, even Otogi who we haven't seen since he joined Pegasus in America right after he graduated."

Tristan scowled.

"He'd better not lay a finger on you, Serenity, or I'll have his head," he muttered. Serenity just waved her hand for them to leave her alone; she was doing serious cooking and didn't need them distracting her. The two returned to the main room where a customer was waiting.

Tristan glanced around for the counter-person; apparently she was running late because she was nowhere in sight. He sighed and stepped behind the counter, helping the man who'd been waiting for several minutes. Rebecca laughed and picked up Ethan's carrier.

"Tell Serenity I said bye," she said, waving to Tristan. She threw a warm blanket over the baby before stepping outside. She opened the car door, got in, and drove away towards the small apartment she and Yugi lived in. Rebecca loved taking care of Ethan because she and Yugi could get practice of what it would be like with their own child.

After the man had left, Tristan went back into the kitchen. He still looked pretty much the same as he had when he'd been in high school, save his goatee and glasses. He still had pencil-shaped hair.

"Rebecca said bye," he told Serenity, who was putting the fresh pastries and bread onto the shelves. "I had to help a customer because 'little-Miss-Ballerina' isn't here yet."

"Give her a break, honey. She hasn't been herself ever since her parents died in that accident," Serenity said softly. "She really needs to find herself somebody… She's been single for too long."

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_Beep! Beep!_

The alarm clock went off for the tenth time that morning; she had kept hitting the snooze button repeatedly to avoid getting up. She glanced at the clock and saw that it was already eight o'clock.

"AIEE!!" she cried, jumping out of bed. "I overslept! I'm thirty minutes late for work! Serenity's going to kill me!"

The brunette threw off her pajamas and looked around frantically for her work outfit. It was a very revealing, very tight, very short dress, and she had to wear the matching hat **(1)**. Anzu sighed; Serenity insisted that she wear the uniform. It attracted customers.

"Yeah, gropers and perverted old guys," she muttered to herself. She pulled on the long socks and buckle shoes, and she brushed her hair. Not much had changed in the last nine years; Anzu looked almost exactly the same, only more tired and sadder.

All of her friends had somebody. Joey had gotten married to Mai right out of high school. They had moved to America a year later, and they usually visited every Christmas and during the summer. Their four-year-old son Cody was a spitting image of Joey, save the dangerous violet eyes. Tristan and Serenity were happy together with a baby boy, and Yugi and Rebecca were expecting a child. Yami had taken over running the game shop; he really was the 'king-of-games' after all. He was married to Vivien Wong, a girl who'd been in the Grand Prix tournament. They had two children: twins Aryka and Aaron. Aryka had long, multicolored hair, while Aaron had jet-black hair and bright crimson eyes. Heck, even Seto Kaiba had fallen in love before Anzu. He married the museum lady, Isis, and they had two children also: a six-year-old girl named Sakura and a two-year-old boy named Sayoran. Ryou and Miho were married with a five-year-old daughter named Kyumi; she had soft white hair and dark purple eyes. Why did so many people have purple eyes?!

The only person who _wasn't_ in a loving relationship was Bakura. Well, and Mokuba. Anzu and Bakura had tried dating for a while, but it had turned out to be just a close friendship. The two were best friends now, even closer than she and Yugi, and the two could be seen almost everywhere together. Some mistook them for a couple, but they knew the real truth. She couldn't fill that empty hole in her heart with a friendship, no matter how close it was. She yearned for that deep, emotional feeling one got during their first kiss, or when two people first meet and something clicks. Of course, Anzu had already experienced her first kiss, and she guessed it had been romantic enough at the time.

"_So, Bakura," Anzu asked, swinging her legs back and forth because her feet didn't reach the ground, "why did you come?"_

_She was sitting on the edge of a stone bench in the park, leaning back on her supporting arms. She didn't turn to face him; she just kept on staring intently at the bright moon. Ryou had finally convinced Anzu to go on a date with Bakura; according to Ryou, he wasn't as bad as he seemed, but during dinner the ex-thief had kept a safe distance between them. Was he afraid of her? She knew why she'd finally given in (she couldn't endure any more of Ryou's puppy-dog eyes), but she couldn't understand why Bakura had decided to show up._

_After waiting five minutes for an answer but getting none, she turned her head to the side; he was still gazing forward, either deep in thought or trying to ignore her._

"_The same reason you did."_

_Her mouth opened slightly, pondering over what he had just said. He smirked inwardly as he watched her get confused. Anzu didn't know what he'd meant by that. Did he come because of Ryou…? Or because of something else…?_

"_So, I take it you couldn't stand Ryou's pouting face, huh?" she asked, looking back up at the moon. He groaned uncomfortably and shot a sideways glance at her. She was watching the moon, her sapphire eyes sparkling with mystery, wonder, and… happiness?_

"_No. I came because I decided to give you a chance, and you're not all that bad," he replied softly in a very ironic, romantic voice. She whipped her head around so fast that her hair almost smacked him in the face._

"_I… I don't understand… what are you trying to say?"_

_She actually understood what he was saying, but the thought just wouldn't register with her brain. Why would Bakura, evil-'brother-of-an-angel'-hateful-ex-thief Bakura, go out with her? Was he trying to win her over and use her as a pawn to get something? Possibly something valuable that he didn't want to risk stealing himself so he'd get her to do the dirty work for him by threatening one of her friends or family members? That was the only _reasonable_ explanation…_

"_If you're trying to win me over so you can use me, you're sadly mistaken," she said with a huff, standing up suddenly and walking away. Bakura was too startled to move. She'd taken his words the wrong way; she thought he was going to use her for something. Boy, was she wrong._

_She was storming away quickly, but Bakura caught up to her and grabbed her by the wrist. She twisted in pain, but his grip was stronger than hers. Anzu cried out, tears streaming down her cheeks. She was afraid of him; she'd seen what Bakura could do in a fight, and she didn't want to meet the same fate that Tristan had met in eleventh grade when he'd gotten a broken leg. _

_Bakura slapped his hand over her mouth to silence her shouts. Anzu, enraged by his action, bit his hand, and he yelped out, pulling his hand away. He raised it up high as if to strike a blow, and she turned her head downward to avoid being hit in the face by his blow._

_But none came._

_He placed his hand gently on her cheek, and, lifting her face upward, captured her lips in a warm kiss. She was too stunned to even think. Her brain automatically realized she was in a kiss, so she began to kiss back. The two pulled away from each other, both shocked at the other's actions._

"_What… was… that?" she asked slowly. He slid his hand down from her wrist to her hand, and his fingers touched hers._

"_Anzu… would you like to be my girlfriend?"_

She smiled as she remembered the good old days. A couple of months later, Anzu and Bakura had decided that they'd be better off as just close friends; they were missing that special spark that she so desperately wanted. She supposed that she would never find someone, and Christmas approaching wasn't making anything better. Her parents had died a few days before Christmas; after that, the winter holidays had always been very dreary to her.

"Oh, just great," she mumbled sarcastically, "it's snowing… Awe, damn it! I left my coat at Bakura's! It's too bad that I still can't afford a car… I guess I'll just have to freeze… Curse this uniform! I don't see Mokuba wearing something like this!!!"

She grabbed a light sweater and headed out the door. It was bad enough that she had to ride a bike to work, but this was the first time that people could actually see her out in public. The frozen wind engulfed her body and she could barely move. She'd made it halfway down the street before the black car decided to pull over. The window rolled down and Anzu stopped next to the door.

"Get in," he growled. "You're letting in the cold air!"

Laughing, she opened the backseat door and got in. She slammed it closed; he rolled up the window, and took off again. She'd put her bike in the trunk. After buckling her seatbelt, she looked up to see her coat being thrown directly into her face.

"I thought you might need this," Bakura said.

"Thank you," she said, leaning up and giving him a hug from behind.

"Not while I'm driving, woman!" he yelled, and she slumped back into her seat. Bakura smirked.

"I see you were dumb enough to think that you'd last walking outside like that," he scolded. "You know, you could've called me…"

"I didn't want to inconvenience you," she replied, looking out the window and noticing that Bakura passed the street that led to the bakery. "Hey, where are you going?!"

"I'm going to work, where else?" he said deviously. "Don't worry; I only want to show you one thing at the museum."

"But Bakura!" she whined. "People can see me!"

"There won't be many people there at this time of day…"

"But you told me that Isis received some new Egyptian tablets! You told me that, lately, in the morning the museum is packed!"

"Oh yeah… it must've slipped my mind," he replied sarcastically.

"You planned this!"

"Hey, what are friends for?" he asked. She frowned and crossed her arms. They reached the museum in no time, and Bakura practically dragged Anzu up the stone steps. He yanked her inside, and Anzu flushed. The place was packed! A bunch of guys immediately started following them around; Bakura grabbed her hand, and leading her away towards the new exhibit, stuck his tongue out at the men, who scowled.

"They shouldn't be bothering us anymore," he told her.

Anzu sighed and nodded; she really needed to get to work, but Bakura supposedly had to show her something really important. He led her passed a roped entrance where many people were waiting to get in (the Egyptian exhibit didn't open until nine). They rounded a corner and came face-to-face with Isis.

"Hello Isis," Bakura said cheerfully. "I was just showing Anzu the new display that came in on Monday."

"Okay, but be quick," she replied, smiling at Anzu. "We need you on floor three in about fifteen minutes, which should give you enough time to get Anzu to her work."

Isis new Anzu didn't have a car, and she bowed to the two before walking away. Bakura took the brunette over to a large display glass.

"Wow," she breathed, "it's so big."

"Yeah. They found it in an ancient pyramid near Cairo. Look closely; anyone you recognize?"

She looked at the two men who'd been sketched into the stone. One had a weird thing over his head; the other had a dragon-looking animal. The man who had the weird thing above him had spiky hair and looked very familiar…

"Yami!" she gasped. "But who…?"

"We don't know… But that one guy does look a lot like Yami, and Isis thinks that that thing over his head is the Dark Magician, his favorite card. She doesn't have a clue about the other guy though. Oh well… We still have to show Yami and Yugi; maybe they'll know something…"

"I doubt it," Anzu said with giggle. "We'd better go… my bike's still in your trunk and I need to get to work…"

They turned around, and Anzu bumped into someone. She looked up and saw that he was a young man with light blonde hair and lavender eyes.

"WHAT THE HECK IS UP WITH ALL OF THE PURPLE EYES?!?!?!?!"

The guy looked at her confused, and, smiling sheepishly, Bakura dragged her away from him. She turned red from embarrassment and couldn't believe that she'd said that aloud. They raced out the front doors and into Bakura's car.

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"You're late," Serenity said sourly as Anzu rushed into the bakery. "Even Mokuba got here before you did, and he doesn't have to be here until nine!"

The young Kaiba shot her a toothy grin before exiting the building; he was the bakery's delivery boy, and around Christmas, the bakery always got lots of orders. Anzu thanked Tristan, who'd been covering for her, and told him he could go help Serenity. He didn't normally help around the bakery since he was usually at work, but for now he could spend some quality time with his wife. Anzu was immediately swamped with customers, and she began her day like she had begun all of the rest.

Meanwhile, over in a certain museum, Isis and Bakura were getting ready to open up the Egyptian exhibit. Isis introduced Bakura to her brother, Malik, who had come over with the findings to visit his sister.

"Hello," the young Egyptian said friendly. "So, you're the museum's assistant manager, huh? How's it like working with my sister?"

"It's great," he replied, giving him a thumbs-up. "You're sister's a great person."

"I know," Malik replied with a grin. "I saw you here earlier… with, uhh, that obnoxious girl… What was she wearing?"

"Oh, umm, that's her work outfit. She works in a bakery just down Maple Street; she's a wonderful person," Bakura told him.

"Ah, I see. Are you two… uhh…"

"No," he replied hastily, "we're just good friends."

"Oh."

"You should meet her sometime, properly I mean. Earlier was a… an accident…"

Seto Kaiba burst through the doors and walked past the paparazzi, glaring at Isis. She approached him wearily.

"Yes?" she asked tentatively.

"It's over," he said loud enough for everyone to hear. There was a great "OMG" from the crowd, and cameras were clicking from every direction.

"What?" Isis asked.

"I refuse to take my daughter to work any longer," he said promptly, folding his arms. A little girl clutching her father's leg peered up at her mother, who smiled knowingly. Playing with the media was one of her husband's favorite games. Well, besides Duel Monsters.

"Come on, honey," she said to Sakura. Sakura and her father followed Isis to the back where Bakura and Malik were talking. Sakura ran to her uncle and latched onto his leg.

"Uncle Mawik!" she cheered as he lifted her up into his arms. "You're back!"

"Yes, Princess," he replied, kissing her cheek. "I brought you something."

Placing her into Bakura's arms (who frowned when she started pulling on his hair), he reached into his pocket and pulled out a golden scepter.

"Malik," Seto said, "you spoil her too much."

"That, my dear friend, is what uncles are for."

"Get it off me," Bakura growled, placing Sakura back into Malik's hands. He gave her the toy and bounced her up and down.

"Seto," he said to his brother-in-law, "why don't I take her off your hands? Isis is busy, too, and I could take her out for the day."

"That'd be great," he replied. "Thanks."

Malik took Sakura out to his car, while Seto happily dismissed the camera people. Isis and Bakura got back to work, and after Seto told them goodbye, he went back to work, too.

"So, Sakura, where do you want to go first?" Malik asked his niece as they drove out of the parking lot. He had rented a car after arriving in the airport, seeing as how his motorcycle would take an extra few days because it was flying over separately. She shrugged, and he laughed.

"How about some ice cream?"

"Sure," she replied, perking up like daisy.

"So, how's your brother?"

"Sayoran? He's okay… He's at home with the maid."

"Oh."

Malik looked at her through the rearview mirror. Sakura looked exactly like her mother, save her light skin that she'd gotten from her father. Since both of their parents had blue eyes, the children had received blue eyes as well. He smiled thinking about how happy his sister and Seto were together. Isis had cut her hair and now kept it wound up into a tight bun at the back of her head. However, she still wore her traditional Egyptian robes, and she made all of the children's clothes. Seto had stopped wearing the shady trench coats, and he currently had a much brighter wardrobe. He'd also acknowledged all of Yugi's friends as friends, even Joey. Malik thought that he himself looked pretty much the same as when he'd been a teen.

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**(1)** It looks just like the bakery outfit that Chi in _Chobits_ wore when she helped out in the bakery to earn Hideki money.

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Wow. I finished Chapter1 on Christmas Eve! Lol. I guess I won't finish the story until probably late January-early February. I know that most of you probably hate Vivien (I've read some -stuff- on her), but please be patient and kind with me; she's supposed to be a changed woman. That's why Kaiba was acting so different. Oo Please review!


	2. Serendipity

**Disclaimer:** I do not own YuGiOh.

Well, _Third Half of the Wishbone_ has been updated. Also, **Demented Insane Spirit** and I are working on an Ancient Egypt fic, so be on the lookout for that, too (XD). However, it will be on **DIS's** account, so go put her on Author Alert! Lol. Also, you should check out her stories! They're AWESOME!

The rating of this fic might go up in later chapters (just to warn you now); because the characters are much older, they've developed a more mature persona. There will be a little Yugi-Rebecca action in the beginning (sweat-drop), and other character pairings will follow suit.

I'm only going to put the character profiles in the first few chapters during in which time I will be introducing the "changed" characters. (;P) Here they are, the stars of this fic:

Anzu Mazaki (25) – a young woman who yearns to find somebody special, but fate keeps dealing her the wrong hand

Malik Ishtar (25) – he comes to visit his sister in Domino and runs into Anzu

Serenity Wheeler (22) – owner of a bakery and has a baby boy

Joey Wheeler (25) – works voluntarily at a children's hospital teaching sick kids how to play Duel Monsters

Mai Kujaku (28) – Joey's wife; she works for Industrial Illusions and has one son

Tristan Taylor (25) – married to Serenity and works for a real-estate company

Otogi Ryugi (25) – Pegasus's partner and maker of Dungeon Dice Monsters

Rebecca Hopkins (21) – married to Yugi; they'll have their first child in about nine months

Yugi Muto (25) – works for Kaiba Corp (one of Seto's most trusted advisors)

Yami Muto (25) – inherited the Kame Game Shop after Grandpa died; is married to Vivien with two children

Ryou Hitori (25) ((made up his last name since Bakura is his brother's name)) – works in an ice cream shop and is married to Miho

Bakura Hitori (25) – works at the Domino Museum and is Anzu's best friend; he used to be the leader of a gang of thieves before the police had caught them (luckily they hadn't been jailed)

Seto Kaiba (27) – CEO of Kaiba Corp and is married to Isis

Mokuba Kaiba (21) – works in Serenity's bakery alongside Anzu

Isis Ishtar (28) – married to Seto with two children and runs the Domino Museum

Miho Nozaka (25) ((from _YuGiOh!_ the manga)) – married to Ryou and has one daughter

Vivien Wong (27) ((from _YuGiOh! Grand Prix Tournament…_)) – runs the game shop with her husband and takes care of the kids; she really has changed over the years

**Note:** This is an AU fic. The YGO gang has never met Malik, although they might have met of Isis. Bakura and Ryou are separate people, and so are Yugi and Yami. Uh, there are no such things as Millennium Items, and Bakura/Ryou and Yugi/Yami are brothers. There is no Marik (Yami Malik). Some characters maybe a little OOC… or way OOC (like Vivien), but take into consideration that they've done some growing-up.

**Blue Mystery**: Lol. Merry Christmas to you too. Lol. I'm just now updating…

**animeaddict99**: here's your update!

**DojomistressAmbyChan**: I didn't say exactly when… just like a few years ago. So it's been like 2 or 3 years since her parents died.

**EvilChick87**: Don't worry; I'll read your fic!

Summary: Christmas is approaching, and Domino City is once again crowded with shoppers and family gatherings. Too bad Anzu Mazaki doesn't have any family to celebrate with. One day she bumps into a foreigner named Malik Ishtar, who is the brother of Seto Kaiba's wife Isis. The two start to see each other frequently, and one thing leads to another. Maybe this Christmas won't be lonely after all…

Malik x Anzu centered; other pairings include Serenity/Tristan, Yugi/Rebecca, Ryou/Miho, Seto/Isis, Yami/Vivien

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**Stille Nacht**

By: Chi Yagami

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**Chapter Two – Serendipity **

Rebecca closed the apartment door and hung up her coat, hat, and scarf. She set the baby carrier down on her bed and looked around. As soon as one came into the apartment, Rebecca and Yugi's bedroom was on the left. A giant area to the right consisted of a kitchen and dining table. A large wall separated the kitchen and den (which was behind the kitchen). Next to the den was the study (or soon-to-be-baby-room), and the 'hallway' that the front door was connected to also linked to the study and another 'corridor'. Down that particular one (which was behind their bedroom) was the bathroom and a small closet. Their home wasn't much, but it was all that they wanted. They didn't need a large house, even if they could afford it.

She took off her cold, moist garments and threw them into the hamper. Rebecca pulled on a pair of warm, light blue sweatpants and a yellow spaghetti-strap top. She walked lazily into the kitchen and pulled out some hot chocolate mix. As she was pouring the hot mixture into a Santa cup, Rebecca thought she heard the shuffling of feat. But that couldn't be right… it was too early in December for her husband to be let out of school. She had finished college early back when she was a teen, but he was still a senior. She plopped two marshmallows into her drink and flopped into the den.

"Yugi!" she exclaimed, setting the mug down on the coffee table. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at school until the twentieth?"

He turned around and grinned at her. Yugi looked _exactly_ the same as he always had; even his eyes were still childlike. He was currently trying to string lights onto the tree, but he wasn't having much success. The lights lay skew on the floor, and he was sitting next to a large pile of dead bulbs.

"I am… but they told me I could finish my work at home," he replied. "I already took my midterms."

"Oh."

Rebecca joined him on the floor and began to mess with the burnt-out group. Yugi wasn't looking, so she began trying to pull random strings out of the pile. When he turned around, he found his wife going to war with a dead army.

"Rebecca! No! I had just sorted those out!"

"Oops," she apologized. "I'm sorry, sweetie; I didn't know."

She tried to help him, but instead Yugi got tangled in a bunch of lights. She giggled and threw some more on his head. He smirked and Rebecca knew that her fun was over. He lunged at her, his hands tickling her stomach. She squirmed in discomfort and tried to weasel out of his grasp. She started falling over and grabbed his collar.

"If I'm going down, you're coming with me!"

She fell backwards, Yugi crashing down on her stomach. His hands flew out and he pushed himself into a more comfortable position. She looked up at him; he was lying on top of her, his nose inches above hers.

"Why don't you wear contacts?" he asked, removing her glasses and placing them next to her drink.

"I don't like the way they feel," Rebecca replied. Yugi leaned down and kissed her. They still loved toying around with each other; they'd have to stop when the baby arrived, though.

"But I can't see your beautiful eyes when you wear them," he said, kissing her cheek. Yugi nuzzled her neck and held her close. She flinched when his tongue rested on her skin, but she relaxed after a while. He began to fool with her spaghetti strap, and he looked into her eyes longingly before licking her ear.

"Yugi," she moaned, "now is not the time…"

"We never have time anymore," he argued. She tried to sit up, but Rebecca was trapped under his body. He'd gotten a bit taller, but everyone else still loomed over him. She cocked her head to the side as he fingered her pant string.

"How about a compromise?" she offered. He gave her a sideways-glance but nodded.

"You let me take care of the baby during the day, and as soon as Serenity's got Ethan back, I'm all yours," Rebecca said, putting the idea out on the table. He frowned; he wouldn't be able to play with her until seven thirty? It seemed quite unfair…

"Fine," Yugi agreed, and she sighed. "But on one condition."

"What?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You won't wear your glasses tonight," he said, nipping at her neck. She gasped out and frowned. He'd promised… figures… men… She moaned and twisted her neck a little. Yugi sucked on her skin possessively and smirked. No one would've thought little Yugi had it in him, but after years of hanging out with Joey and watching R-rated movies… Rebecca heard the baby cry out suddenly.

"Honey," she complained, wincing as he shifted his position, "Ethan needs me…"

"Alright, alright," he said, licking her lips. She shot him a warning look as she climbed out from under him. She ran into the bedroom and pulled the baby out of his bedding. Rebecca rocked him softly in her arms until he just looked at her, drool forming at his mouth. She smiled when he grabbed a strand of her hair. She gingerly placed her fingers on the spot were his teeth had pierced her skin. Yugi leaned on the doorframe, watching his wife. It would be wonderful once they had a baby of their own, although he'd miss the alone time.

"Just remember," he said in a low tone, "you're mine tonight."

* * *

Mokuba entered the game shop carrying a small parcel. He watched as two twins chased each other around the shop and up and down the stairs. He chuckled and approached the counter where Yami was busy restocking the Duel Monsters card supply.

"Hello Mokuba," he said, looking up as the young boy set the box of pastries down on the glass countertop.

"Hey," he replied. Mokuba's hair was shoulder-length now, and he was wearing his work jacket. His hair was pulled back into a ponytail that stuck out of the hole in his baseball cap, and his card-shaped necklace still hung around his neck.

"Your wife ordered half a dozen donuts?" he asked pulling out a clipboard and collecting envelope. Yami nodded. The older Muto brother had kept most of his teen features, but he had changed a bit. He signed the paper and gave Mokuba a check. He tipped his hat and went outside, riding away on his delivery bike.

"Darling," Yami called up the stairs, "your donuts are here."

"DONUTS!" the two five-year-olds cried. Vivian smiled and shook her head.

"For later," she told them. "Right now, why don't you two come help Mommy make Christmas decorations?"

"Sure," Aryka said happily. She loved helping her mom do stuff; it made her feel important. Aaron, however, made a face of disgust.

"I don't wanna do craft," he whined. "I wanna stay with Papa!"

"I have work to do, Aaron," Yami said. "Why don't you go help Mommy? Please? I'll let you help me later; I promise."

"Oh-kay," the little boy sighed as he followed his mother and sister upstairs.

The three sat down near the tree and got to work. Vivian cut paper angels since the kids couldn't be trusted with scissors, Aryka strung popcorn and hung it on the tree, and Aaron made holiday cards for all of his classmates.

"Are Uncle Joey and Aunt Mai coming over for Christmas?" Aryka asked.

"I think so, but don't be sad if they can't make it," her mother replied.

"I hope they come; I wanna play with Cody," Aaron said. "I've got no one to play with."

"Aryka plays with you," Vivian said, cutting a blue bell out.

"No. She plays with Sakura and Kyumi," he replied.

"It's funner with girls than you," Aryka replied.

"Ayrka, 'funner' is not a word. We say 'more fun'."

"It is in_ my_ dishonary."

* * *

"Oi! Wake up, you!"

Ryou sprang up from his seat, scooper in hand. "Hello and welcome to Marble Slab. Would you like to try our Monday special? It's a triple scooper topped with three cherries followed by the regular sundae toppings…"

His boss frowned and narrowed his eyes. Then Mr. Juhen burst out laughing; Ryou gave a 'hahaha that's so funny I forgot to laugh' look before sitting back down. The ice cream shop was pretty dead so far. Ryou twirled around on the bar seat to make sure Anita was washing the dishes. She smiled and pointed at him. He gave a puzzled look before realizing she was pointing to behind him. He twisted around to see two people entering the store. He quickly flipped on his triangular hat and picked up the scooper.

"Hello and welcome to Marble Slab. Would you like to try our Monday special? It's a triple scooper topped with three cherries followed by the regular sundae toppings and an option of peaches or bananas," Ryou said to the man standing in front of the counter. The man blinked a few times before pointing at the menu.

"Last time I checked," the blonde man said slowly, "today was Tuesday…"

Eyes bugging and cheeks flushed, Ryou scanned the calendar to find that, indeed, it was Tuesday. Trying not to look embarrassed, he asked the man what he wanted.

"Oh, nothing for me, thanks," he said. "Sakura, what do you want?"

Ryou peered over the counter to see Sakura, Kaiba's daughter, looking up at him. "Hey Sakura. The usual?"

"Yeah!" she said. "Hello Uncle Ryou! Where's Kyumi?"

"She's at home right now," the albino said while preparing a cookies-and-cream scoop. "Who's this you're with?"

"This is my Uncle Mawik," she said proudly.

"Hello," Malik said. "You know Sakura?"

"Yeah. My daughter and she are good friends," Ryou explained, handing Sakura her ice cream. "Although I knew her parents long before that. I still can't believe Kaiba's got two kids running around…"

"You know Isis?" Malik asked. "I'm her brother; I flew in from Egypt for the holidays."

"Ah, so you're Malik? I've heard about you."

"Uhh, excuse me for being rude," Malik said, "but you look kind of familiar. Do you work at the museum?"

"No… but my brother does. He works with your sister. His name's Bakura," he replied. Malik nodded.

"I met him."

Suddenly, Ryou's cell phone went off. He pulled it out and opened it.

"Hello?"

Malik watched as Ryou's face turned from happy to puzzled to serious to worried.

"Uh-huh… yeah… sure! Hold on, okay? It'll be fine; I'll be right over after I tell Anita. Bye."

Ryou snapped the phone shut and stuck his head into the kitchen.

"Anita, I gotta run! There's something wrong at the bakery! I'll be back!" he shouted. "Hey, Malik, sorry about this, but my friend needs help. I'll see you around?"

"What kind of help?" Malik asked. "I'll come with you."

Ryou stopped halfway out the door and turned to him. "Well… leave Sakura here then; Anita will watch after her."

"Sakura, you're going to stay here, okay?" Malik told his niece. "Anita will give you ice cream."

Malik told her he'd be back to pay for the ice cream, and the two boys were gone.

* * *

Well, how was that? Sorry it was shorter than the 1st chapter, but I had to finish it today because this week I'm grounded… (;;;) Well, I hope you all enjoyed it!

Please review! Sayonara!


	3. Like Taking Candy from a Baby

**Disclaimer:** I do not own YuGiOh.

(May 8, 2005)

Gah. Sorry I haven't written in so long, but my computer crashed and I haven't had internet access for a long time. I've also been very busy studying for the WHAP AP test (which I finally took). Finals are coming up. and I'll be busy all next week: Monday – Thursday I have COLORGUARD TRYOUTS! and on Friday I have BAND BANQUET! That's why I'm working on this; I hope it gets posted by Sunday…

Yay! I'm so happy I have people wanting this fic updated! XD Anyway, as you requested, here's chapter three!

(May 15, 2005)

I MADE COLORGUARD! I'm so happy! Plus, band banquet was AWESOME! I such fun with my date XD

**Sailor Tiamat:** You'll find out XD

**DojomistressAmbyChan:** Yeah, I'm trying to get some of Malik's POV in here… it might come a bit later though (like next chappie).

**EvilChick87:** It's been so long, I don't remember! Lol

This is probably the last time I'll be posting the character guide:

Anzu Mazaki (25) – a young woman who yearns to find somebody special, but fate keeps dealing her the wrong hand

Malik Ishtar (25) – he comes to visit his sister in Domino and runs into Anzu

Serenity Wheeler (22) – owner of a bakery and has a baby boy

Joey Wheeler (25) – works voluntarily at a children's hospital teaching sick kids how to play Duel Monsters

Mai Kujaku (28) – Joey's wife; she works for Industrial Illusions and has one son

Tristan Taylor (25) – married to Serenity and works for a real-estate company

Otogi Ryugi (25) – Pegasus's partner and maker of Dungeon Dice Monsters

Rebecca Hopkins (21) – married to Yugi; they'll have their first child in about nine months

Yugi Muto (25) – works for Kaiba Corp (one of Seto's most trusted advisors)

Yami Muto (25) – inherited the Kame Game Shop after Grandpa died; is married to Vivien with two children

Ryou Hitori (25) ((made up his last name since Bakura is his brother's name)) – works in an ice cream shop and is married to Miho

Bakura Hitori (25) – works at the Domino Museum and is Anzu's best friend; he used to be the leader of a gang of thieves before the police had caught them (luckily they hadn't been jailed)

Seto Kaiba (27) – CEO of Kaiba Corp and is married to Isis

Mokuba Kaiba (21) – works in Serenity's bakery alongside Anzu

Isis Ishtar (28) – married to Seto with two children and runs the Domino Museum

Miho Nozaka (25) ((from _YuGiOh!_ the manga)) – married to Ryou and has one daughter

Vivien Wong (27) ((from _YuGiOh! Grand Prix Tournament…_)) – runs the game shop with her husband and takes care of the kids; she really has changed over the years

**Note:** This is an AU fic. The YGO gang has never met Malik, although they might have met of Isis. Bakura and Ryou are separate people, and so are Yugi and Yami. Uh, there are no such things as Millennium Items, and Bakura/Ryou and Yugi/Yami are brothers. There is no Marik (Yami Malik). Some characters maybe a little OOC… or way OOC (like Vivien), but take into consideration that they've done some growing-up.

Summary: Christmas is approaching, and Domino City is once again crowded with shoppers and family gatherings. Too bad Anzu Mazaki doesn't have any family to celebrate with. One day she bumps into a foreigner named Malik Ishtar, who is the brother of Seto Kaiba's wife Isis. The two start to see each other frequently, and one thing leads to another. Maybe this Christmas won't be lonely after all…

Malik x Anzu centered; other pairings include Serenity/Tristan, Yugi/Rebecca, Ryou/Miho, Seto/Isis, Yami/Vivien

* * *

**Stille Nacht**

By: Chi Yagami

* * *

**Chapter Three – Like Taking Candy from a Baby**

Anzu tried to keep up her plastic smile, but by noon, it was fading fast. She was tired of wearing the costume, and she'd already been hit on by a new guy. There was a regular admirer who came in every afternoon named Yaru; he had been asking her out for months. Serenity said she should give him a chance, but there was something about the way he looked at her that creeped Anzu out.

Tristan and Serenity were in the back, and Mokuba was out making deliveries. She sighed and looked around the empty bakery. For some reason, she found herself thinking about going out with Bakura again. Where had that come from? She didn't like Bakura… No, she only liked how happy she felt every time he held her hand or kissed her cheek. She wished she could feel it for _real_.

She was just about to put her head down when she heard Serenity scream.

"Hey, who do you creeps think you are?" she heard Tristan ask. She peeked around the corner to see two men advancing on her friends. Anzu whipped out her cell phone and started to dial 911 but her finger slipped onto the Redial button.

"Hello?" Ryou asked. Anzu blinked but thought quickly.

"Hey Ryou, it's Anzu. You've got to come over to the bakery quick!" she whispered. "Can you hear me?"

"Uh-huh… yeah…"

"Get here as quick as you can! Two guys are trying to rob us!" she cried softly.

"…sure! Hold on, okay? It'll be fine; I'll be right over after I tell Anita. Bye."

"Bye…"

"Put the phone down, girly, and we might not hurt you."

Anzu turned around to see two new guys approaching her; one had a gun in his left hand. She gasped, as she saw out of the corner of her eye, one of the guys drag out an unconscious Tristan and frightful Serenity.

"All we want it is the baby," the one with the gun said. "Hand it over and you go free."

"I-I don't h-have my baby," Serenity sobbed.

"What do you creeps want with a baby?" Anzu asked. The gun was thrust back in her direction.

"None of your business," the man said coldly. "Hmm… that outfit's pretty hot, don't you think so, Don?"

"Yeah, whatever," Don said, tightening his grip on Serenity. "We didn't come here for sex."

"But we did come for a baby… this girl could easily get us one…"

The man walked towards Anzu, the gun still pointed at her. She backed up slowly until she bumped against the wall. The guy put the gun up to her head.

"You're gonna come quietly or you're not ever gonna leave this place alive," he said. Serenity started to scream, but Don smacked a hand over her mouth.

"We're taking the girl," the guy told Serenity, "and if you don't show up with that baby, we'll kill her."

Don threw Serenity on the ground as the other guy walked Anzu out to his truck, the gun still pointed at her. Serenity looked up to see the dirty truck driving away.

"NO!" she screamed. "ANZU!"

She shook her husband, but he wouldn't wake up. The doors flew open as Ryou and a stranger came running in.

"Serenity, what's going on!" he asked. "Anzu called me and—"

"S-She's g-g-gone!" Serenity sobbed, latching onto Ryou's shirt. "They k-kid-n-napped her…!"

"They kidnapped Anzu!" Ryou asked. "Who?"

"I d-dunno… they wanted my b-baby and took her as… as ransom…"

"Uhhh…," Tristan moaned, getting up. "Ryou…? What happened?"

"Some creeps who wanted your baby stole Anzu and are using her as ransom," he explained. Tristan noticed Malik.

"Who are you?"

"Malik Ishtar, brother of Isis Ishtar."

"Oh."

* * *

The police promised to search everywhere for these thugs, but the group knew they'd never find them. Serenity, Tristan, Ryou, and Malik were all sitting in the Taylors' house.

"What can we do?" Malik asked.

"Well, they want Ethan… so they must be wanting us to show up somewhere with a baby…"

"Who would risk going to jail for a baby?" Ryou asked.

"Psychos. People who are just sick," Tristan replied coldly.

"If they wanted us to show up for a trade, shouldn't they have given us an address?" Serenity said quietly, hugging Ethan.

_¡Ring¡Ring!_

"Who wants to answer it…?"

"I will," Serenity said bravely, picking up the phone. "Hello?"

"_Mrs. Taylor, you better show up with that baby."_

Serenity instantly put it on speaker phone and motioned for everyone else to stay quiet.

"Where?"

"_We'll meet at the abandoned warehouse on _Asa Street_."_

"Why do you want my baby?" she demanded.

"_Do you want your friend to live or not?"_

"Don't you hurt her!" she cried.

"_Don't worry; she won't die… IF YOU HAND OVER THE TODDLER. She'll just be permanently scarred. We like virgins."_ ¡Click!

Serenity turned around slowly. All three men were staring at her wide-eyed.

"Let's go there right now," Tristan said.

* * *

Serenity was carrying a cradle of blankets, and Malik and Tristan were with her. Ryou had called the police and was waiting in the car.

Tristan pushed open the warehouse door and peered inside. Then he and Serenity walked in first, Malik sneaking into the shadows. He snuck up into the upstairs, looking around. He heard some noise coming from a room with a cracked door.

"Get away from me, you creep!" Anzu said, swinging at him with a pole. He caught it and grabbed her wrist. The guy pushed her into a corned and smashed his lips against hers.

"HEY!" Malik said, hitting the guy with a hammer. The guy fell to the floor.

"Come on," Malik said, taking Anzu's hand and getting her out of there. They came out to meet the police, Don in handcuffs.

"Anzu," Serenity gasped, hugging her friend. "You're okay!"

"I'm fine…"

* * *

The five of them were now sitting in a restaurant. Well, after Anzu had changed out of her work clothes.

"Anzu, he didn't do anything to you, did he?" Tristan asked. "You're sure you're fine?"

"Yeah," she replied. "He was just, uhh… threatening me…"

Malik watched her closely. He wasn't sure whether or not to tell Tristan about that man trying to assault her. He wasn't very close with any of these people… perhaps he'd tell his sister.

"Uncle Mawik!" Sakura called, running over to him, her cheeks flushed with excitement. She'd been playing on the indoor playground while the adults talked.

"Yes, Sakura?" he asked, turning to his niece. "Are you ready to go?"

"Yeah. Uncle Ryou, when can I play with Kyu?"

"Maybe tomorrow. I've got to go, you guys," he said apologetically. "Miho's probably worried…"

"Bye Ryou!" they all said.

"Yeah, we should get home, too," Serenity added. "We should've picked up Ethan an hour ago. I hope you're really okay, Anzu."

Anzu smiled, but Malik knew it wasn't a true smile. He looked at his watch and knew Isis was expecting him. He glanced back at Anzu saying goodbye to the Taylors. He'd have to say _something_ to her…

"Well, thanks for everything, Malik," Tristan said, shaking his hand. "Stop by the bakery anytime."

"Okay, I'm sure Sakura would love it," he replied, grinning at Sakura.

"Say, Malik, why don't you walk Anzu home?" Serenity suggested.

"Uhh… okay… if that's alright with you, Anzu?"

"Sure."

Anzu picked up her jacket and walked out the door. Malik hoisted Sakura up into a piggyback ride and followed the brunette. The small child yawned and rested her head on her uncle's shoulder; soon she was fast asleep.

"Umm, Malik —is it?— well, Malik, thank you," Anzu stammered, not wanting to look behind her. "Thank you for saving me."

The Egyptian stared at the back of her head as they walked down an empty street. They were taking slow steps, and Malik was trying not to shift too much so that Sakura would remain asleep. He wanted to talk to Anzu.

"Uhh, you're welcome," he managed. Even though he wanted to talk to her, he found he couldn't speak. Malik wasn't shy or anything; he just wasn't use to the situation. Back in Egypt, he was a tough guy. He never talked to girls like Anzu. He usually flirted with all girls and only did one-night-stand stuff. He'd never saved a girl from being raped before. He wasn't sure what to say. Of course, having spent most of his life underground watching over some dead guy probably had a lot to do with it. He just didn't have any experience with girls who weren't flirting or sleeping with him.

"You know, you don't have to walk me home," she said, trying to make conversation. Malik felt his old self kick into gear.

"Well now, we don't want you getting kidnapped again, do we?" he said mockingly.

Anzu stopped. What was his problem? Had she said anything wrong? No. Why were all guys jerks?

"I didn't need your help," she snapped back, whipping around. "I was handling the situation just fine without you."

"Sure… that's why that guy had you cornered and was smashing himself against you," he replied sarcastically.

Anzu flushed and turned back around. She turned onto a new block that led into her neighborhood. She'd had the wrong impression of this guy!

"Or were you actually enjoying that kiss?" Malik pondered with a twisted grin.

"What is your problem!" she asked. "Why can't you carry a _normal_ conversation!"

"Because I'm not normal, babe."

Ugh. _Men._ Why did they have to be perverted, creepy humans? Anzu sighed and looked up at the sky. She missed her parents a lot. As she gazed up at the stars, she felt a raindrop hit her face. It was suddenly pouring!

"Uncle Mawik!" Sakura cried. "I'm wet!"

"Yeah…"

"Come on," Anzu said. "My house isn't far."

The two adults and child ran off down the street (well, Sakura just kind of got carried down the street). As she opened her front door, Anzu couldn't help but realize that Malik would be the first nonfriend guy in her house for about two years.

* * *

Finally! The chapter is done! 


End file.
